The United States has an extensive, if not comprehensive, bureaucratic system intended to collect, verify and disclose the benefit streams it is due from its extractive industries (EI) and to compel EI firms to disclose their payments. The components of this system were created...with the intention of either assuring the proper collection and disbursal of mineral proceeds or protecting the interests of investors...The result is a system that meets some of the transparency requirements put forth in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s (EITI) reporting templates, but falls short in both the spirit and letter of reporting standards in areas such as corporate reporting. [refers to BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Newmont, Placer Dome (part of Barrick Gold)]